Third Party Candidates: Impacts on 2024 Elections

On August 27, 2024, senior political reporter Aaron Blake discussed third-party candidates, spotlighting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent suspension of his independent presidential campaign. Once a colorful figure of the 2024 election, Kennedy's exit raises questions about how his remaining presence on ballots may indirectly support Donald Trump by siphoning votes from Kamala Harris. Kennedy, a son of Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of John F. Kennedy, espoused vaccine skepticism and garnered attention as an unexpected player in this election cycle. Despite his early polling successes, interest in his candidacy waned, leading to speculation about whether his endorsement of Trump could sway Republican-leaning supporters back into the fold. Additionally, other potential third-party candidates, such as Jill Stein and Cornell West, may have left-leaning followers that could affect Harris’s chances against Trump in swing states. The dynamic landscape of third-party politics underscores not only the fluctuations in support for these candidates but also their larger implications in the context of an election system that often favors major party candidates. Ultimately, the absence of strong third-party representation could mean a return to a more conventional electoral battle as voters lean toward candidates with better chances of winning.